Wednesday, October 29, 2008

My venture outside of my comfortable world of oil painting has paid off! A few weeks ago I decided to broaden my horizons and create hand-painted fine art resin pendant necklaces. Each necklace features a unique one-of-a-kind 1.25 square inch acrylic painting protected under a high-gloss scratch-resistant finish.This past weekend I took about 25 of them to sell at Hollyfest, not knowing what to expect. Despite the bad weather in the morning, I sold a lot of them! I was pleasantly surprised. :) So I've decided to make more.

Almost every day I will be listing new ones in my Etsy shop. This week I am making several different dog breed silhouettes since I will be attending two different dog events this weekend. One event is the Mutt Strutt Dog Walk at Historic Oak View Park in Raleigh, and the second is the Suite Paws Costume Contest, also in Raleigh.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Oil paintings can be very delicate and easy to damage, but by following a few simple guidelines your painting can have a long and happy life. I've come up with a few tips for the care, conservation, and hanging of your oil painting with a little help from the Conservation Register. These tips are especially relevant for oil paintings, but it would be wise to apply them to all artwork in general.

Avoid touching the surface of the painting.

Avoid hanging your painting close to shelves, furniture, in busy corridors, behind doors, or where people can knock it.

Try to avoid hanging over direct heat or moisture sources, for example, right over fires, radiators, heaters, hot water or central heating pipes; in bathrooms, kitchens or around swimming pools.

Avoid hanging over or next to outdoor vents, or on damp walls.

Picture lights attached to or near to the top of a painting can get hot and lead to localized heating. It is best to take advice on lighting.

Bear in mind that paintings will build up dirt more quickly in rooms with an open fire or where people smoke.

Hanging fitments should be fixed to the sides of the frame, not the top. Choose a thick and solid part of the frame. Make sure screws are secure but do not push them through the front.

As with all objects in your home a painting will collect dust and dirt. Dust can be removed using a very soft brush with metal elements protected so that they cannot be a cause of damage. Avoid feather dusters, sheep skin dusters, however soft, as they catch.

Keep out of direct sunlight.

For every oil painting I create I also include a printout of these tips to ensure that you get the most out of your new acquisition. I hope these guidelines allow you to take better care of your artwork so that you can enjoy it for many years to come, as can the generations following you.

Every month around the 15th I will announce a new giveaway. The prize could be anything including an original painting, a print, a gift certificate, a fine art pendant necklace, and fine art print note card and envelope sets! The rules to enter may be different for each giveaway, so make sure you read them. Here's how you can enter this giveaway:

The painting was created with high quality acrylic paints on a wooden tile. The painting was then sealed with a high gloss varnish on every surface. Then it received a resin finish which gives it a very high gloss scratch-resistant polished look. The pendant features a large silver-plated aanraku bail securely fastened to the back, and comes with an 18 inch (45.72 cm) black Chinese silk cord with a lobster claw clasp.The pendant and cord comes packaged in a small white gift box as shown.

This giveaway ends at 12am EST on Sunday, November 2nd. Good luck to everyone!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Hollyfest is tomorrow! I'm doing my anti-rain dance. The event is on, rain or shine, but I'd rather it not be raining. Hollyfest is from 10am-4pm and right now weather.com is saying that the rain should stop at 9am (knock on wood!). So I'm hoping things dry up. Anyway, here are some highlights for what to expect tomorrow:

Thursday, October 23, 2008

With the holidays approaching, thoughts of what gifts to buy friends and family have frequently been on my mind. I absolutely love buying gifts for loved ones, and actually began Christmas shopping back in August. So to help make the holiday shopping a bit easier on everyone else I thought I would share some of my favorite Etsy shops between now and the holidays. Today I'd like to share the delicious shop of DoubleDippedSweets. I'm warning you, you will drool.Who are you (actual name/and or shop name)?

Krista from Double Dipped Sweets

What do you create?

Gourmet Popcorn and Caramel Apples

Where are you located?

In Salt Lake City, Utah

Why did you choose your shop name?

It took a long time to come up with a name for my business. The runner up, nominated by my husband, was "PMS Alley"! But, we thought that might cut out the men...

What is the most time consuming part of your craft?

I make everything per order. So, some days I have nothing to do, and sometimes, like right now!! I am swamped!

What is your most popular item that you create (and why do you think it is so popular)?

Right now my most popular item is my Caramel Apples, since it is Fall. However, I really encourage people to try my popcorn! You won't be disappointed!

What do you do when you are not creating?

When I'm not creating I am working PT as a receptionist, then coming home and running after my 3 kids - the oldest is 5! I keep pretty busy!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Christmas is coming, and so are new treats and packaging! Keep an eye on my shop!

Indeed, Christmas will be here before you know it, and I plan on buying a few things from Double Dipped's Shop, but I don't think they will make it back out of my house. They might just have to be a little gift for me. ;)

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

So I thought this was too funny not to share. A friend of mine, Emily Turner from Creature-Care, gave me a piece of mail that she had received from the American Kennel Club. Apparently the AKC is now offering pet portraits. What they do is take your photo and print it on canvas, and then "enhance" the canvas photo with paint. Basically, it's a glorified paint-by-numbers. Anyway, that's not what I think is funny. What I think is funny is this obviously pain-stakingly researched statement included in the pamphlet. And I quote:

"While a typical commissioned work could cost you from $5,000 to $30,000 or more..."

Really?!?! A TYPICAL commissioned portrait would cost from $5,000 to $30,000?? Typical?? Well, I guess I've been offering my services at a severely discounted rate. I'd like to take this opportunity to announce that I am raising my prices...Admittedly, that would be great to charge $5,000 for a portrait, but I don't think that would fly this early in my career. I just can't get over their use of the word "typical." That is NOT typical pricing; that's misinformation. Here's what I charge for original oil paint pet portraits on gallery-wrapped canvas. This is pricing for a one-subject portrait with a non-detailed background:

8x10 - $100

11x14 - $200

16x20 - $400

18x24 - $500

Those are the most popular sizes, however, I can do pretty much any size you want.

Anyway, I will be raising my prices after the new year rolls around, but it won't be $5,000. How's $4,999? Have a wonderful day! :)

It's that time again! The NCTriangle Street Team is having another giveaway. The NCTriangle Street Team is a talented group of individuals in the Triangle area of North Carolina who all have shops of Etsy. It's from this amazing group of individuals that the prize for this round's giveaway is coming from. Handmade By Amy is offering the lucky winner his or her choice of any gift tag set in hershop, plus any set of 90 address labels with shipping included. That's a $16 value!

Here's a little more aboutHandmade By Amy's shop, thanks to theNCTriangle Street Team blog. Handmade By Amy, features unique, handmade cards, stationery and address labels. She has an innate sense of detail and it shows in her work! If you have not seen her shop, this is a great time to check it out!Here are the rules for entering the contest according to the NCTriangle Team.Prize: Your choice of any gift tag set in Handmade by Amy's shop PLUS any set of 90 address labels! Shipping included! That's a $16 value!

Who Can Enter: Anyone! US and International entrants are welcome.

Deadline: The giveaway runs from Tuesday, October 21st to noon (EST) on Tuesday, October 28th. The winner will be announced the following day.

Eager To Win? Earn up to 2 extra entries! Here's how:1) Publish a post on your blog about the giveaway.2) Make a purchase from Handmade by Amy's shop!Leave a comment to let us know that you earned an extra entry. Remember to leave the link to your blog.

Fine Print: - Your comment must contain your email address - Contest winner will be chosen by random drawing - The winner will be contacted by email. If the winner does not respond within 3 days then a second winner will be chosen. - Anyone, including NCTriangle Team members, can participate!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

With the holidays approaching, thoughts of what gifts to buy friends and family have frequently been on my mind. I absolutely love buying gifts for loved ones, and actually began Christmas shopping back in August. So to help make the holiday shopping a bit easier on everyone else I thought I would share some of my favorite Etsy shops between now and the holidays. Today it is my pleasure to share with you the fantastic shop of ZAJA Natural!Who are you (actual name/and or shop name)?

My shop name ZAJA means Zestfully Ambrosial, Joyfully Aromatic, which sums up my products! They smell delish! My name is a combination of my first 2 initials and my fiance's first two initials of his name.

What is your most popular item that you create (and why do you think it is so popular)?

I think it is very popular because the items are unique and very well put together. I spent a lot of time creating these 3 items, and a lot of people love it as much as I do.

What inspires you?

My family inspires me, I am trying to create a better future for them. I am also inspired by people. I enjoy being able to provide a natural skincare line for the community.How do you acquire new clients?

I blog a lot. I post on many blogs daily. I also have a newletter campaign with Constant Contact that is going very well.

What do you do when you are not creating?

I love to read, watch movies, and just be lazy, lol.

Thanks for letting me feature you on my blog! Everyone please be sure to check out her Etsy shop. Happy shopping!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

It's time for Allover Art's first giveaway! Who doesn't like free stuff? :)

Every month around the 15th I will announce a new giveaway. The prize could be anything including an original painting, a print, a gift certificate, a fine art pendant necklace, and fine art print note card and envelope sets! The rules to enter may be different for each giveaway, so make sure you read them. Here's how you can enter this giveaway:

The painting was created with high quality acrylic paints on a wooden tile. The painting was then sealed with a high gloss varnish on every surface. Then it received a resin finish which gives it a very high gloss scratch-resistant polished look. The pendant features a large silver-plated aanraku bail securely fastened to the back, and comes with an 18 inch (45.72 cm) black Chinese silk cord with a lobster claw clasp.Each pendant and cord comes packaged in a small white gift box as shown.

This giveaway ends at 12am EST on Sunday, November 2nd. Good luck to everyone!

Be sure to check out some other giveaways on Bloggy Giveaways! There are a lot of great ones.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

I have broadened my horizons! For several years I have spent all my artistic time creating original oil paintings and pet portraits on canvas, up until a few weeks ago. I am extremely detail oriented in my work, and looooove working on a small scale. I really take great joy in depiciting every single hair in my pet portraits. After seeing the rise in popularity of the Scrabble tile pendant, I decided to put my own twist on it. For those who don't know, the process for creating a Scrabble tile pendant usually consists of an artist or artisan cutting out a piece of paper with a unique design on it, gluing it on a Scrabble tile, putting a resin finish on it, and attaching a bail. Here's an example of a Scrabble tile pendant by fellow NCTriangle Team member scatterbox.

So I decided to create one-of-a-kind fine art resin pendants for Allover Art. For my proccess I take a 1 1/4 inch square wooden tile, and create a unique and original acrylic painting on the front. I paint the back of the tile black and initial it. Once the miniature painting dries, I seal the pendant with a gloss varnish. Once the varnish dries I put a high-gloss resin coating over the painting. Once the resin cures I securely attach a large silver-plated Aanraku bail to the painting, creating a fine art pendant! These pendants are a perfect eye-catching size with saturated colors that will surely get you many compliments. I will be selling these for $15 with either a black or white 18-inch Chinese silk cord to create one-of-a-kind wearble art. I have created about 15 different pendants at the moment and will be listing them in my Etsy shop this week as well as creating a page dedicated to them on my website.

I will also be taking custom orders for your very own special fine art pendant. Keeping in line with my love for pets, I can create a custom fine art pendant with the silouhette of your pet's breed. I already have a Scottie, and several non-specific dog silouettes. I also have several cat silouhettes already painted that are waiting for the resin coating. I also have several Halloween-themes pendants. Each pendant comes gift-wrapped with tissue paper in a tiny box with ribbon. Be sure to check out my Etsy shop every few days as I continue to list different pendants.

My next craft fair/art show will be Hollyfest on Saturday, October 25th from 10am-4pm at Womble Park in Holly Springs. In addition my usual original oil paintings I will have a large number of these pendants on display. I will also have many fine art prints and a few canvas reproductions of some of my original works, as well as different fine art print note card and envelope sets.

It looks like it will be a really fun event! They will have numerous arts and craft vendors, different food vendors, a hay maze, and so much more! I am really looking forward to this event and being outside on such a pleasant fall day. I hope to see you out there. :)

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Every Saturday night starting at 5pm EST on Etsy numerous shops host a Saturday Night Special (or Sale), also known as SNS. Basically, numerous shops have different specials or sales that begin at 5pm EST and end at 6am EST tomorrow morning. Every shop that is having participating in SNS posts in the Promotions Forum on Etsy so that buyers can easily find the SNS shops. There will be a thread titled "Willowglass' Saturday Night Specials (SNS)" and this is where all the shops will post their specials. Tonight I will be participating in the SNS for the first time! Here are the details of my SNS:

Tonight ONLY I am offering 10% off of everything in my shop, PLUS free shipping on all prints, note card sets, and gift certificates!! Simply mention “SNS” in the notes to seller upon checkout and I will send you a revised invoice.

I specialize in original fine art oil paintings on canvas, as well as any other creative medium I can get my hands on. I have several gorgeous prints, ACEOs, and fine art note card and envelope sets. I also dedicate myself to creating custom art that speaks uniquely of you.

This sale will only last for tonight, so be sure to stop by my shop and take advantage of the great deals! It's never too early to start shopping for the holidays.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Hello everyone! I just can't seem to keep my creativity confined to one medium these days. I of course still love to do pet portraits and that is still the majority of my work. In fact, I just finished a pet portrait for an Alchemy request on Etsy. It was my first Alchemy bid that I won! The portrait I did was of Flounder. Isn't he adorable? Anyway, to learn more about what Alchemy is on Etsy, click here. Basically, if there is something that you want made you put a request on Etsy and all the artists and artisans can bid on it.

Anyway, I digress. I've been thinking about ways to expand my work beyond the oil paintings themselves. The first thing I've come up with are art print note card and envelope sets. So far I have two different sets of cards. Both sets incorporate small fine art prints of my work. The first set is a set of three folding note cards featuring my Peaceful Puppy painting with matching envelopes.

This is a set of 3 blank folded cards each with a mounted fine art print of my Peaceful Puppy original oil painting. Each set of three comes with matching envelopes. Both cards and envelopes are bright white in color, slightly textured, and have a deckle edge. The inside of each card is blank, awaiting for your message.

Each card is 3.5" x 4.8" and each envelope is 3.7" x 5.1".

Each set comes shipped in a cello bag.

I also have the same set available with my Frisky Kitten painting featured. The details of the set are the same as the details of the Puppy set.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Hooray! A big thank you to everyone who voted for me. My Biggest Fan painting won the "School Colors - Challenge #2" on the NCTriangle Street Team blog.To read the post that announces the winner, click here. For more information on this piece, Biggest Fan, click here.

According to the post, items from my Etsy shop will be featured on the blog throughout the month of October, and I will get to choose the theme of the next team challenge. There were some very talented team members involved in this challenge and I am honored to have won. Thanks everyone! :)